Clinical Pathologist, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosah, has called on the government to scrap the payment of nurses trainee allowance.

In its stead, he suggested that the trainee nurses be introduced to the students loan scheme.

Contributing to discussions on the 2014 budget statement of the government for the health sector, he explained that funds for payment of these allowances for trainee nurses could be channelled into expanding the nursing institutions to allow more intake of students.

The call comes at a time when the government is confronted with the burden of providing enough funds to expand education facilities to enhance enrolment.

Citing the education sector as an example, Prof. Akosah said the sector had increased its intake from 9,000 to 15,000 as a result of the scrapping of the teacher-trainee allowance, adding that health could also increase its enrolment numbers should a similar strategy be adopted.

The occasion was a post budget analyses forum organised by the Ministry of Finance in collaboration with the Institute for Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) to discuss the budget in detail.

He said the number of doctors and nurses in hospitals were inadequate and wondered why qualified students would be denied access to the profession because of the lack of funds to pay for their allowances.

Trainee nurses are currently taking a little over GHc 350 every month, something which the former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) says is detrimental to the development of the profession, so far as increasing the numbers in the health sector is concerned.

“If there is anything preventing us from increasing the numbers, then we should deal with it”, he said, adding that the solution would be scrapping the trainee allowance to make room for the students to apply for students loan.

Prof. Akosah predicted an outcry from the trainee nurses about his suggestion saying that “I can understand that if you are admitted to the nursing training college and given some allowance and someone says it should be scrapped, definitely you will be angry.”

He was, however, quick to add that nursing was a profession that people took a decision to practise and not because of the training school allowances, hence, they should be treated like other students and made to access the students loan scheme to boost enrolment numbers.

2014 Budget On Health

MEANWHILE, the budget has allocated GHC3.35 billion to the health sector to enable it carry out projects earmarked in 2014.

The sector minister, Madam Sherry Ayitey, taking her turn at the forum, said the ministry in 2014 would undertake the rehabilitation or expansion of various regional and district hospitals and polyclinics across the country.

These will include 20 per cent upgrading of Ridge Hospital into a functional Regional Hospital, continuation of the rehabilitation of Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, completion of 50 per cent new maternity facility and expansion of the Tema General Hospital, completion of maternity blocks at Tafo and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals in Kumasi and refurbishment and upgrading of Kaneshie Polyclinic into a District Hospital.